The article is devoted to the consideration of various tools of soft power used by Qatar to promote national interests abroad. The text provides the detailed information on the process of forming the information field of Qatar in the modern media landscape of the country. The author consistently unveils the successful experience of internationalizing local media and expanding their global influence through the use of innovative technologies, mergers or acquisitions of foreign media assets and the publication of exclusive information. Based on the example of Al Jazeera and other Qatari media, the author provides the statistical indicators that prove the effectiveness of such a strategy in expanding the reach of the press and strengthening the influence on the public abroad.

   The article represents the authors’ analysis of historical and modern approaches to the definition of the concept of information warfare and to the tools of its conduct. The classification systems studied in the material were taken into account when conducting a structured content analysis of cases of information wars in Russia and abroad. Internet technologies (of a digital and social nature), their significance in various types of information wars and the tool base were chosen as the key marker of content analysis. The authors have made and confirmed the hypothesis about the intensification of the practice of information warfare in the context of the development of Internet communications, while it should be noted that technologies born in the Internet environment (both digital and social) can be both an instrument of attack and a means of protection in modern information warfare.

   The relevance of the study comes from the growing polarization of public opinion caused by numerous conflicting reports in both Russian and foreign media on various topics, ranging from the conflict in Ukraine to morbidity statistics and promotion of vaccination during the pandemic. Fake news are the subject of investigations in media channels and among popular bloggers. The study is aimed to identify the methods for detecting fakes in the media. Hence, the author provides a review of the Russian and foreign journals and Internet content on the topic and conceptualizes the definition of “fake news”. Based on the study of practical cases of spreading fakes – in history and in modern media – the author provides the matrix of the main channels and motives for the dissemination of fakes and identifies the tools for verifying the authenticity of media content.

There are constant social changes in the social structure and socio-cultural models in society. Social changes in communities are carried out with the help of new forms or elements from which positive socio-cultural transformations are expected. The dissemination of information by mass media in a socio-cultural environment affects both social changes in society and the formation of the principles of media justice and inclusiveness in it. Information can be perceived by people in different ways, depending on their interests and the ability of society to use information that is dynamically entering the media space. The very concepts of “inclusion in the media space” and “media justice” are hardly always felt and perceived by people in the process of interacting with the media. In turn, digital social media platforms contribute to the creation of various communities. The logic of the study conducted by the author leads to the conclusion that the development of communities of various interests, the media should focus on mentoring, sponsorship, inclusiveness and advocacy.

The article examines the concept of mass culture as a cultural universal in its modern manifestations and phenomena. The author consistently develops the thesis about the mediatization of mass culture in the information space. The purpose of this work is to identify the characteristic features of mass culture, as well as current trends in this environment. Mass culture is attributed to the division into ranks from “low” to “high”, but today there is a tendency to erase these facets. The complexity and inconsistency of this phenomenon, the vague definitions of the concept, the mechanisms of its correlation with other forms of culture encourage researchers to look for new approaches and refine the old ones in an effort to develop a common definition. The serial production of mass culture is analyzed, which acts as an important element of the education system, socialization and upbringing. Attention is focused on the positive aspects of the development of mass culture. The necessity of further study of the concepts of mass culture and media in their interrelation and interdependence is indicated.

The development of convergent journalism and new media formats has changed the journalistic content dedicated to the promotion of the high art. The paper represents an overview of the recent works devoted to the research subject. The authors consider such communicative tools for promoting the art and museum-exhibition direction in journalism as performative communications, PR technologies, digital innovations in the use of VR, and the art discourse. The authors’ overview lead to the conclusion that the art direction in journalism is attempting new techniques and methods of contact with the target audience (users), which generally has a positive effect on the practices of cultural media consumption.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the influence of information technologies on the transformation of ecological communication, as well as to the assessment of the ongoing social changes related to the development to ecological / environmental discourse. The paper considers the main stages of technological, social and media changes, and the development of public discourse around the topic of the environment. The author carried out a theoretical analysis of the works of modern researchers (McLuhan, Mansell, Wilson, McChesney, Neuman, Gil-Garcia, Karlsson, Agin, Hase, Hofman, Grimmer, etc.). In the research based on the analysis of the Telegram messenger the author examines the features of ecological communication in the digital age and the role of “big data” in shaping today’s environmental agenda (46 public TG channels related to ecology and environment). Attention is paid to both the content and the degree of demand for certain messages. The author notes that politics gives additional publicity to information, polarization of opinions or a conflict of interests contribute to the popularity of messages, than after attracting the necessary attention of the target audience, communication moves to another level, which is non-public, or secondary. At the end, the author comes to the conclusion that in the modern period “big data” is becoming a navigator that provides a sense of direction in a huge flow of information and events in whatever field of communication.

This research is devoted to the analysis of the concepts of social solidarity and social partnership as prerequisites for the formation of corporate culture of organizations. Currently, the concept of social solidarity is an important tool for ensuring social justice and sustainable development of society. The concept of social partnership, in turn, allows employers and employees to cooperate effectively in solving various socio-economic problems. The study analyzes the methodological consolidation of the concepts of social solidarity and social partnership, and also presents their criticism. The author conducted a comparative analysis demonstrating the advantages and disadvantages of each of the concepts under consideration. Based on the results obtained during the study, the principles of implementing the concepts of social partnership and social solidarity in the formation of the corporate culture of the organization were developed. In conclusion, the author concludes that the development of concepts of social solidarity and the establishment of social partnership in the organization is a prerequisite for the successful formation of a corporate culture that contributes to improving the efficiency of the organization and employee satisfaction.

The article is devoted to the problem of bullying that is today encountered literally everywhere: at school, at work and on the Internet. Recently it has become a social and psychological problem that needs to be addressed both at the level of psychology and at the level of normative regulation and the introduction of appropriate communication practices in enterprises. Many researchers call bullying a social disease of the 21st century. Bullying is a kind of self-assertion of people at the expense of humiliation of others, harassment of one or more employees in the labor collective. However, such self-assertion brings unpleasant consequences – in terms of both labor management and psychological health of the victims. The problem of bullying is very common, however, it should be noted that its manifestation could vary significantly depending on the company, region and, more importantly, the country as a whole. It depends on culture, mentality and other factors. The authors consider several types of bullying practices and provide a comparative analysis of workplace bullying, based on statistical data describing the situation in Germany, the USA and Russia. Each country has its own characteristics and conditions for the formation of reasons for bullying, and its own mechanisms for solving this problem.

Modern digital technologies and, in particular, artificial intelligence technologies are changing our understanding of the ways and means of entrepreneurial activity. The penetration of artificial intelligence into business processes is becoming inevitable. In the short term, the degree of participation in entrepreneurship of a person and programs that determine consumer behavior using digital algorithms will shift towards the latter. To achieve business results, an entrepreneur needs to understand both the essence of communication systems and the “way of thinking” of artificial intelligence, as well as the general context of interaction with consumers. This article analyzes the process of communication in the system of entrepreneurial activity, as well as the use of artificial intelligence in it. The author systematizes his own experience in the field of advising entrepreneurs, identifies the basic characteristics of business communication systems and the possibility of using artificial intelligence technologies in them, and determines the role of context in managing business processes.

The manuscript is devoted to the study of identity as one of the supporting constructs in the system of social communication inclusive of online communities and digital environment. The basis of the material is a review of scientific sources devoted to the definition of identity from the standpoint of philosophy, sociology and related sciences. The author provides the key characteristics of identity in the network communications and defines the place of this phenomenon in the communication system. In view of the changes in the understanding of identity in the system of virtual communication, the author makes an attempt to determine the characteristics of “real” and “perceived” identity and outlines the prospects for further applied research.

The press services are deeply integrated into the universities’ reputation management and provide the interaction with students, applicants, employers and the international academic community. The effectiveness of the implementation of the communicative potential of university press services is achieved through timely monitoring of public opinion, the establishment and adjustment of feedback from applicants and their parents, as well as the target groups enlisted above. The activities of the press service, its structure and functions are determined by the development of information and communication technologies, including new media, social media, university platforms and various cross-platform messengers. In this context, the experience of organizing and functional features of the university press service in new media and social networks seems worth studying for both theoretical and practical point sides.